


Bi The Way

by agrajag



Series: Wizards Drabbles [1]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Wizards - Fandom
Genre: Bi-Curiosity, Gen, Minor Steve Palchuk/Aja, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25774924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrajag/pseuds/agrajag
Summary: "Well, could you at least not stay up too late?" [Steve asked.] You know I have to be up early for my training with Lancelot.""Oh yes, of course," Douxie said, and Steve knew that sometimes he had trouble reading people's tone, but he was pretty darn sure Douxie was mocking him. "We can't have you disappointingLance, now can we?"[...]It had been eating at [Steve] all day, and he decided around lunch time that it would have even if he hadn't been on Lancelot's bad side the whole day.He turned over onto his side and just blurted out, "What did you mean yesterday?""What do you mean 'what did I mean'?" Douxie asked.[...]"When you said we don't want me disappoint Lancelot?"
Series: Wizards Drabbles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1879837
Comments: 18
Kudos: 163





	Bi The Way

**Author's Note:**

> i know wizards literally just came out but i have been waiting for this since forever and i was itching to write fic so i got up at 9, binged the show, and immediately wrote this
> 
> obviously spoilers ahead in case you missed the tag

Steve couldn't help it. He had been trying to accept Douxie as one of them and be his friend, but there was something about the wizard that rubbed him the wrong way. He wasn't going to let that affect the mission, nay the quest, because he was a professional after all. So he didn't bring any negativity into their quarters after a long day of training.

And boy, did they always feel so long. Between him fighting Lancelot every day for hours on end and Claire practicing her magic with Morgana, it was usually quiet as a tomb in their quarters since the two of them passed out fairly quickly. Steve knew deep down they probably should be planning on how to get back to their rightful time period, but Douxie said he was going to get the Time Map from Merlin, and considering that seemed to be _all_ he was doing while Steve and Claire were working their butts off, Steve figured he should leave him to it.

The point was, it _was_ usually quiet, but when Steve gingerly walked into the room last night, Douxie was playing some weird, rounded guitar. 

Loudly. 

And it definitely sounded out of tune.

Archie was curled up on Douxie's bed, with his arms tucked tightly around his ears, but other than that he didn't look too bothered. Claire, a heavy sleeper it appeared, was passed out on her bed and snoring lightly. Steve, on the other hand, knew that there was no way he could relax, let alone fall asleep, with that noise.

"Hey, do you think you can save that for tomorrow?" he asked Douxie, trying to sound as friendly as possible. "Or maybe find somewhere else if you absolutely have to practice now?"

Douxie's fingers paused for a moment as he laughed, but then he immediately started playing once more.

"Oh, absolutely not. My lute playing is pretty infamous in the castle. It's been banned pretty much everywhere. Even during feasts, King Arthur wouldn't let me play."

Oh yeah, Steve was definitely not going to be getting any sleep.

"Well, could you at least not stay up too late? You know I have to be up early for my training with Lancelot."

"Oh yes, of course," Douxie said, and Steve knew that sometimes he had trouble reading people's tone, but he was pretty darn sure Douxie was mocking him. "We can't have you disappointing _Lance_ , now can we?"

Steve hadn't said anything last night. He was far too tired since Lancelot had him running 'laps' around the castle, which had to be about six miles around, so two laps and he was close to collapsing. So he did just that. He collapsed onto his bed, once he had taken his armor off, of course. And then he had laid there, listening to Douxie play his stupid guitar thing and sing in a terrible falsetto. 

He must have eventually given up, because Steve woke up the next morning not feeling as tired as he had expected, but he knew he could have felt more rested than that. Claire and Douxie were both already gone, which was not a good sign. The sooner he showed up for training, the better, so he was usually the first one out of the room, so this meant he was running late.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the stables, Lancelot looked none too pleased, and he definitely took it out on him during training. He had wordlessly handed Steve the sword he had been using and attacked him without a warning. Steve had been getting better, because he was _good_ at sports, and being a knight wasn't all too different than playing football. At least, in theory. Once on a true battlefield, Steve knew that it would become more akin to Creepslaying, but until then, he was picking everything up super fast. He had been enjoying it, too, but that day was _horrible_.

He really felt as if he had let Lancelot down.

When he returned to their quarters that night, it was with baited breath, because he had honestly expected Douxie to be playing that weird instrument again. Thankfully, he wasn't. He was sitting quietly on his bed as he looked over a very old map. Once again, Claire was passed out cold, so Steve did his best to stay quiet as he got ready for a blessed early night. Even if he could have banged around the room and it wouldn't have made a difference.

Because he was nice like that now. Unlike some people.

He did break the silence, however, once he was laying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling.

It had been eating at him all day, and he decided around lunch time that it would have even if he hadn't been on Lancelot's bad side the whole day. 

He turned over onto his side and just blurted out, "What did you mean yesterday?"

"What do you mean 'what did I mean'?" Douxie asked, sounding very distracted.

He didn't look up from his map. He simply turned it onto it's side, eyes crinkling as he studied it, as if that would really help him find whatever it was he was looking for.

"When you said we don't want me disappoint Lancelot?"

"Well, just that, didn't I? We _are_ meant to be blending in, so we need you to take your knightly duties seriously."

"But it was the _way_ you said it."

Finally, Douxie looked up at him, and he appeared to be surprised, of all things.

"Okay. I have to admit, I didn't expect you to call me out for my teasing, so I apologize for that. It just seemed to be how this friend group interacts. Clearly, I was wrong for thinking I could just jump right into it. Obviously, not knowing me that well, you're not comfortable with it."

"Teasing?" Steve asked.

Because that was not what he had been expecting at all. He hadn't though Douxie was teasing in any way. He thought his tone was more like a warning or something. Which, like, he knew they were supposed to be careful not to mess up the timeline, which is why he felt so miffed about what Douxie had said.

"Well, yeah. Teasing you about your crush on Lancelot," Douxie said, like that wasn't a weird thing to say. "Because you have to admit it's kind of funny."

Steve shot up in his bed, forgetting that it was in a carved out alcove, and ended up hitting his head on the stone. He cursed as he felt his head for a lump before going in on Douxie.

"What do you mean crush? I do _not_ have a crush on Lancelot! I like girls! I have a _girlfriend_!"

Douxie held up his hands in a 'surrender' pose, his map falling onto his lap.

"Ooh touchy. You might want to be careful being that defensive. Someone might take it the wrong way."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with liking boys," Steve insisted. "That's just not me! But my best friend Eli likes boys, so I'm obviously not against it. I just like girls, is all. A certain girl, in fact."

"You seem to be getting super defensive about it for someone who supposedly is an ally that is comfortably in touch with his sexuality. I think either you are against it or are in denial about your true feelings. But that's just what I think."

Steve huffed and crossed his arms.

"I'm not in denial about anything. But if I _did_ sort of admire Lancelot, which I'm not saying I do, but if I did... what's so funny about that then?"

"The guy looks like you in ten years," Douxie said with a laugh, although it wasn't cruel. Steve was starting to get it that, yeah. Douxie really was just trying to fit in with them. "So this girlfriend of yours? What does she look like? Blonde hair?"

"No," Steve said, blushing furiously. "I mean, when she's pretending to be a human, yeah. But that's not her true form, so it doesn't count."

"Oh. Are you dating a changeling?"

"Alien."

Douxie laughed again, shaking his head, and smiling to himself.

"Our little rag tag group has quite the collection, don't we?"

"I think that's a good thing."

"So do I. We all have ways we can help. And with that, I'll let you get your sleep Sir Steve of Palchukia. You're going to need your beauty rest for training tomorrow."

As soon as Douxie had uttered the word 'sleep,' an almost vicious yawn tore through Steve.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot how exhausted I am. Good night, Douxie."

"Good night," Douxie replied, picking his map up once more. He studied it for a moment before glancing over the top at Steve. "By the way, Steve? You know that you can like both boys and girls, right? I do, and there's nothing wrong with that either."

"Both, huh?" Steve said quietly. "You know, that might make sense. I guess I hadn't really thought about it because I have Aja. But it's good to know. Hey, Douxie?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a good friend. Thanks."

It was Douxie's turn to blush, and Steve wondered how long it had been since he had been able to make a true friend. Steve decided that he was going to stop judging his every move so harshly. The wizard was just trying to fit into the group. Steve knew exactly what that was like. It hadn't been _that_ long ago since he had been in the same position. Yeah, it really hadn't been that long. It felt like it, with everyone that was going, it felt like a million years had passed, but it had been _one year_. So Steve made this promise to himself.

Which he would totally get started on first thing in the morning, because he could barely keep his eyes open at that point. He let sleep take over, and he would worry about friendships and getting back to the present day and the possibility that he liked boys in the morning. That was too much to have on his plate this late at night. 

The last thought he had before sleep finally took him was, 'I hope I dream of Aja tonight.'


End file.
